Tapioca pearls are a very familiar topping in delicious, aromatic milk tea drinks. Most types of tapioca pearls nowadays are made from tapioca flour, but today TasteVN will share with you 4 ways to make chewy, delicious tapioca pearls using cornstarch that will surely make you crave them! Let’s get cooking right away!
1. Tapioca Pearls from Cornstarch

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Preparation
10 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Tapioca Pearls from Cornstarch Serves 2 – 3 people
Cornstarch 160 gr Water 100 ml
Image of Ingredients
How to make Tapioca Pearls using Corn Starch
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Cook the corn starch
Place a pan on the stove, add 100ml of water and 10g of corn starch. Then use a spoon to stir well and cook over medium heat until the corn starch becomes translucent.
When the corn starch starts to cook and thickens, reduce the heat, continue to stir evenly with a spatula until the mixture is fully cooked and clear, then you can turn off the heat.
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Mix the tapioca starch
Put 150g of corn starch into a large bowl, add the cooked corn starch and proceed to mix them well together.
Use your hands to knead the dough until it forms a soft, pliable mass that no longer sticks to your hands. During the mixing process, if the mixture feels a bit dry, you should add a little hot water to make it easier to knead.
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Shape the tapioca pearls
You divide the dough into 2 parts, place 1 part of the dough on a flat surface, roll the dough into long strands and use a knife to cut it into equal small pieces, then proceed to shape them into balls.
The remaining dough should be kept in a bowl and covered with a lid to prevent it from drying out.
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Boiling Tapioca Pearls
Place a pot on the stove, add 1 liter of water and bring it to a boil. When the water is boiling, add the tapioca pearls, and use chopsticks to stir evenly to separate the pearls.
When the water boils again and the pearls float to the top, continue boiling for another 15 – 20 minutes, then turn off the heat, cover it, and let it sit for another 15 – 20 minutes to ensure the pearls are cooked evenly.
After the resting time, scoop the pearls out with a strainer and rinse them with clean water, then let them drain, and they are ready to enjoy!
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Final Product
The tapioca pearls made from corn starch will have an opaque white color and a chewy texture that is extremely delicious. You should add the tapioca pearls to milk tea or various desserts to enhance the flavor. Give it a try and enjoy!
2. Black sugar tapioca made from cornstarch

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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Black sugar tapioca made from cornstarch Serves 1 – 2 people
Black sugar 8 tablespoons Cornstarch 7 tablespoons
What is black sugar?
- Black sugar, also known as yellow sugar or red sugar, is an unrefined sugar that has a darker color compared to regular sugars, with a naturally mild sweetness from sugarcane.
- Additionally, black sugar granules are larger than white sugar but dissolve easily in water.
- Currently, you can easily find black sugar in supermarkets, stores selling baking ingredients, or order it from e-commerce websites.
How to make Black sugar tapioca pearls using cornstarch
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Shaping the tapioca pearls
You place the cooked dough onto a cutting board, use a rolling pin to flatten the dough and cut it into long strips.
Prepare a box or bowl, add 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch to make an outer coating for the tapioca pearls.
Cover the cut dough with plastic wrap, break off small pieces, then roll them into round balls and place them into the box that already has cornstarch, continue shaping until all the dough is used.
Then you pass the tapioca pearls through a sieve to remove excess cornstarch coating and boil them.
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Boiling tapioca pearls
Place a pot on the stove, add about 600ml of filtered water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add all the shaped tapioca pearls, using a ladle to stir evenly so that the pearls do not stick to the bottom of the pot and cook for about 3 minutes.
While waiting for the tapioca pearls to boil, you need to prepare a bowl of ice-cold water beside you. After boiling for the required time, remove the pot and scoop all the tapioca pearls into the ice-cold water.
Finally, drain the tapioca pearls from the bowl into a strainer and let them dry.
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Making black sugar tapioca pearls
Add 8 tablespoons of black sugar, 200ml of filtered water into a pot and stir well. Continue to add 1/2 tablespoon of cornstarch and mix the mixture evenly.
Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil over medium heat, then add the cooked tapioca pearls and cook for an additional 6 – 8 minutes until the mixture becomes slightly syrupy, then reduce the heat and simmer for another 5 minutes before you can turn off the heat.
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Final product
Black sugar pearls made from cornstarch have a perfect blend of a certain chewiness of the pearls along with the light sweetness of the black sugar, which is incredibly wonderful.
You can combine the pearls with different types of milk tea or fresh milk for an even more appealing experience!
3. Strawberry pearls made from cornstarch

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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty
Easy
Ingredients for Strawberry pearls made from cornstarch Serves 1 – 2 people
Cornstarch 4 tablespoons Strawberry syrup 2 tablespoons
Image of ingredients
How to make Strawberry Tapioca Pearls with Cornstarch
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Cook the cornstarch
Add to a pot 2 tablespoons of strawberry syrup, 1 tablespoon of plain water, 3 tablespoons of cornstarch, and use a flat whisk to mix thoroughly until the mixture is completely dissolved.
Place the pot on the stove and cook over medium heat for about 5 – 10 minutes. During the cooking process, always stir well until the mixture thickens and forms a smooth, doughy mass, then you can turn off the heat.
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Shaping the tapioca pearls
Sprinkle a little flour on the surface of the cutting board, place the cooked dough on it, and begin shaping the tapioca pearls.
Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough, then use a specialized dough cutter to cut it into individual strands.
Next, put about 1 tablespoon of cornstarch into a bowl, break the dough into small enough pieces, roll them into round balls, and place them in the bowl of cornstarch to create an outer coating.
Then, transfer all the tapioca pearls to a sieve to remove the excess cornstarch coating.
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Boiling the tapioca pearls
Place a pot on the stove, add about 240 – 480ml of water and bring to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add all the rolled tapioca pearls, stirring evenly with a ladle to prevent them from sticking to the bottom of the pot, and cook for about 3 – 5 minutes.
After the tapioca pearls are cooked, place them in a bowl of cold ice water for about 2 minutes, then remove them to a colander and let them drain.
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Final Product
Strawberry tapioca pearls made from tapioca starch are chewy, smooth, and have a slightly sour taste from the strawberry syrup, creating a delicious and attractive topping. Let’s get into the kitchen and make a batch of these tapioca pearls to enjoy with rich milk tea!
4. Mango tapioca pearls made from cornstarch

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Preparation
15 minutes
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Cooking
30 minutes
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Difficulty Level
Easy
Ingredients for Mango tapioca pearls made from cornstarch Serves 1 – 2 people
Mango 1 fruit Cornstarch 5 tablespoons Lemon juice 1 tablespoon Rose essential oil 1 tablespoon (optional) Sugar 100 gr
How to choose delicious mangoes
- You should choose mangoes that are uniformly yellow and fragrant. When you gently press the fruit with your hand, you should feel the firmness of the mango flesh, which should not be soft and mushy.
- Naturally ripened mangoes usually have a smooth, shiny outer skin and may sometimes have a few tiny black spots. Additionally, a good mango will have a fragrant, sweet stem with essential oil.
- Avoid choosing mangoes that are too soft or too hard, or those with an extremely attractive appearance, as they may have been artificially ripened with chemicals or through some other method.
Tools needed
How to make mango tapioca pearls using corn starch
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Prepare and blend the mango
After purchasing the mangoes, wash them thoroughly with water and let them drain. Then cut the mango into small pieces, place them in the blender, and blend until smooth.
Next, you will strain the mango juice through a strainer to ensure smoothness and eliminate any pulp.
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Cook the cornstarch
Add 4 tablespoons of cornstarch along with 2 tablespoons of water into a bowl, stir well to dissolve the starch completely.
Place a pan on the stove, add all the mango puree, and the cornstarch mixture just prepared, use a ladle to mix well and cook over low heat.
During the cooking process, always stir evenly so that the starch does not stick to the bottom of the pan or burn. Cook until a smooth, sticky dough forms.
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Shaping the tapioca pearls
You place a little cornstarch on a plate, then add the cooked dough, using your hands to knead and mix thoroughly until the dough is no longer lumpy or sticky, at which point you can shape the tapioca pearls.
You break off the dough into different small pieces and proceed to roll them into round balls, coating the outside of the pearls with a little cornstarch.
Then, you will place the balls onto a sieve to shake off the excess coating.
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Boiling the tapioca pearls
Put 480ml of water into a pot and heat over medium heat. When the water is gently boiling, pour in all the rolled tapioca pearls and cook for 3 – 4 minutes until they float to the surface, then lower the heat and cook for another 4 – 6 minutes.
When the tapioca pearls are soft and translucent, you can turn off the heat and place them in a bowl of ice water for about 2 minutes, then transfer to a colander to drain.
Continue by placing a pot on the stove, adding 240ml of water, 100g of sugar, 1 tablespoon of lemon juice, and 1 tablespoon of rose essence, bringing it to a gentle boil and adding the tapioca pearls.
Cook the mixture until the water bubbles, then it is done and can be removed from the heat, allowing it to cool and be enjoyed.
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Final Product
Mango tapioca pearls made with cornstarch have a harmonious combination of the sweet and sour taste of mango along with the chewy, smooth, and slightly sweet texture of the tapioca pearls soaked in delicious syrup. This is an incredibly suitable topping to enjoy with various delicious, refreshing milk teas. Try it now and feel the difference!
How to store tapioca pearls at home
- For uncooked tapioca pearls, place them in a zip bag or glass container, seal tightly, and put them in the refrigerator’s cool compartment of refrigerator. With this method, tapioca pearls can be stored for 3 – 4 days without worrying about spoilage.
- For cooked tapioca pearls, scoop them out and soak them in cold water or rinse under running water to prevent them from sticking. Then let the tapioca pearls drain, place them in a container to hold them, and store them in a normal environment, which will keep their quality for about 1 day.
- When you need to use them, just take an adequate amount of tapioca pearls, seal them tightly, and then briefly boil them again.
With 4 ways to make tapioca pearls from cornstarch that are both diverse and simple above, TasteVN hopes that you will succeed right from your first attempt! The moderately chewy tapioca pearls combined with various types of milk tea are absolutely wonderful. Let’s get into the kitchen and showcase your skills right away.